Attackers Who Seriously Wounded Two-Year-Old Girl Could be Freed

Prosecution appeals court decision to release from house arrest two Arab rock-throwers who left infant girl seriously injured.

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Ari Soffer, 10/01/14 14:53

Aftermath of attack

Flash 90

The State Prosecutor turned to the Supreme Court Friday to appeal the decision to release from house arrest two suspects in a rock attack on an Israeli family which left a 2-year-old infant seriously injured.

The appeal stated that perpetrators of ideologically-motivated crimes were rarely if ever trustworthy to be released before the end of legal proceedings and that doing so would pose a risk to the general public.

According to the prosecution, the defendants were guilty of carrying out a "well planned ambush" of public buses back in November, motivated by a "hatred of Jews" and in response to the deaths of two Palestinians in Hevron.

The attackers began by hurling a firebomb into the road, with the aim of causing an accident and to block the path of oncoming traffic, and then proceeded to pelt oncoming traffic with large rocks as the vehicles sped up to escape the ambush.

One of the rocks thrown seriously injured two-year-old Avigail Ben-Tzion, knocking her unconscious and leaving her with severe head wounds as she was traveling in a car with her parents and young siblings.

Despite receiving scarce media attention, rock-throwing attacks by Arab extremists often consist of well-planned ambushes, which are carried out with the distinct aim of causing maximum harm to Jewish civilians.